Cooking with Lee Lee

Monthly Archives: August 2011

This birthday blog trilogy certainly has taken awhile and I’m feeling rather sheepish. My apologies once again for the lack of blogging. It really should be much easier, I’m surrounded by food all day and it’s all I think about but I digress, I’m here to bring you part 3 and a promised recipe of “Chicken, Leek and Bacon Pie”, which is perfect for a cool Winter’s day. (There’s still one more day so ssshh)

Last time I left you I was making my way back from country Victoria to the big smoke. If there’s one thing you need to know about me is that the Asian in me CANNOT go without rice for too long. Side effects includes grumpiness and an unwillingness to cooperate that rivals that of a child due for a dentist appointment. So back in the city, I go in search of Asian food or anything that comes with a side of rice.

First stop is Heirloom. I’ve walked past this restaurant no more than a few dozen times and almost every time, their brunch menu will catch my attention. Their breakfast and brunch menu is divided into two sections, Eastern and Western. Their Western menus are much the same as most other places, bacon and eggs with a generous offering of sides. The Eastern brunch menu is what peaks my attention because it’s Asian inspired with a modern twist, including chawanmushi and congee. I love chawanmushi, it brings back a lot of happy childhood memories. (Chawanmushi is essentially steamed, scrambled eggs)

On my visit however, it was too early for brunch but luckily their breakfast menu is very similar. No chawanmushi but they did have “Steamed Eggs with Tofu and Tamari”. When this dish arrived in front of me, I was surprised because it wasn’t what I was expecting. I guess I was still secretly hoping that I’d receive “steamed, scrambled eggs”. Scrambled or not, this dish exceeded expectations, it was a little slight and could’ve come with a side of rice but the flavors were beautiful. The creamy yolk mixed with the nuttiness of the tofu and the sweetness of the tamari was genius.

Next stop for dinner and as a conclusion to my birthday feast, which feels like forever ago now, is Wabi Sabi Garden in St Kilda. The interior of this restaurant is breathtaking and the feel is very authentic. I don’t remember when the Japanese claimed the potato croquette but this isn’t the first Japanese restaurant to have it on the menu. My boyfriend Aleks, is crazy about croquettes so this dish is a must order every time, along with Sake of course.

I LOVE a good pork belly and there’s no better way to cook or eat this piece of meat than braising it. The meat is so tender and juicy, it melts in your mouth and the braising liquid gives whole new meaning to word ‘rich’. I could have easily had this dish to myself with a bowl of rice.

Tempura Flounder served the best way possible considering the form of the fish. The flesh is filleted from the skeleton and sliced into small bites before being coated in tempura batter and deep fried. The whole skeleton of the fish is then deep fried and used as a garnish and as you can see, to also serve the fillets on. Tempura flounder lacked a little salt but everything else on the table was so flavorsome, it probably wasn’t a bad thing. Back-handed comment? You decide…

Wagyu Beef Meatballs. Again, I’m at a loss at how authentically Japanese this dish is but this one was a crowd pleaser. I saw a photo of this dish on the website and my exact thoughts were “I have to have that NOW!!” and it didn’t disappoint. In true Wagyu style, the beef was soft and flavorsome.

So here concludes my excessive birthday feast!… PLUS my chicken pie (recipe next). All this and more in a week, even I’m impressed with myself. This truly was one big eating session and it was EPIC! I’ll be happy to report that I haven’t stopped and there’s more yummy food pics and recipes.

Heirloom and Wabi Sabi Garden both get 3.5 nom noms out of five.

NOM NOM NOM NO…..

Even if it weren’t worth all the calories, it’s a little too late now.